FLUIDIC CONNECTOR FOR IRRIGATION AND ASPIRATION OF WOUNDS
Disclosed herein are several embodiments of a negative pressure apparatus and methods of using the same in the treatment of wounds. Some embodiments are directed towards improved fluidic connectors configured to transmit irrigation fluid and to apply aspiration to a wound, for example using softer, kink-free conformable layers. Some embodiments may comprise a first channel for delivering irrigation fluid to the wound and a second channel for transmitting negative pressure and removing fluid comprising irrigation fluid and wound exudate from the wound, wherein the channels comprise a flexible spacer material. Some embodiments are directed toward an irrigation manifold attachable to or incorporated as part of a distal end of an irrigation and aspiration fluidic connector.
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This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/822,254, filed May 10, 2013, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments described herein relate to apparatuses, systems, and methods the treatment of wounds, for example by applying irrigation and aspiration to a wound via a fluidic connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
The treatment of open or chronic wounds that are too large to spontaneously close or otherwise fail to heal by means of applying negative pressure to the site of the wound is well known in the art. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) systems currently known in the art commonly involve placing a cover that is impermeable or semi-permeable to fluids over the wound, using various means to seal the cover to the tissue of the patient surrounding the wound, and connecting a source of negative pressure (such as a vacuum pump) to the cover in a manner so that negative pressure is created and maintained under the cover. It is believed that such negative pressures promote wound healing by facilitating the formation of granulation tissue at the wound site and assisting the body's normal inflammatory process while simultaneously removing excess fluid, which may contain adverse cytokines bacteria. However, further improvements in NPWT are needed to fully realize the benefits of treatment.
In previously filed U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,524,315 and 8,105,295, the entireties of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference, apparatuses, wound dressings, and methods for aspirating, irrigating and cleansing wounds are described. In some of the embodiments described therein, a wound is treated by the application of topical negative pressure (TNP) therapy for aspirating the wound, together with the further provision of additional fluid for irrigating and/or cleansing the wound, which fluid, comprising both wound exudates and irrigation fluid, is then drawn off by the aspiration. The aspiration and irrigation are typically provided via conduits passing through the dressing into the wound cavity.
Whilst such treatment methods work well in practice, the stiffness of the aspiration and irrigation conduits in such close proximity to the wound site can adversely affect the healing process. Patient movement or pressure onto the wound dressing may bring the healing wound into contact with the relatively inflexible conduits. Such force can cause disturbance of a wound bed which can damage a wound site. This can potentially cause delays in healing of the wound site. These conduits can also cause discomfort to the patient. The ability to create a fluid tight seal about the area where the conduits pass through the wound dressing can also be challenging.
It will also be appreciated that aspiration and irrigation conduits are prone to obstruction. The conduits may become obstructed by movement of the patient, which may cause part of the tube to bend and form a kink or may place pressure onto the tubing, substantially or fully blocking the flow of fluid through the tubing. This can reduce or eliminate the negative pressure and/or irrigation fluid being transmitted to the wound site. In embodiments employing a separate canister for fluid collection, obstruction of the aspirant conduit can also result in accumulation of excess wound exudate at the wound site.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONCertain embodiments disclosed herein relate to improved fluidic connectors for providing aspiration and irrigation and having enhanced flexibility. Such fluidic connectors may have advantages over prior art dressings which may be more rigid and therefore uncomfortable for a patient, particularly when inserted into or located around sensitive wound areas. Other advantages may be that the fluidic connectors described herein are less prone to obstruction than the more rigid conduits of the prior art. Also disclosed are improved methods of use and systems for use of the same, preferably in conjunction with negative pressure wound therapy.
In one embodiment, a fluidic connector for providing aspiration and irrigation to a wound site, comprises:
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- a proximal end and a distal end and an elongate length extending therebetween;
- a top layer, a bottom layer and an intermediate layer each constructed from a flexible, liquid impermeable material and adhered to one another, wherein each of the layers has a proximal end and a distal end and elongate portions extending therebetween;
- an upper fluid passage between the top layer and the intermediate layer;
- a lower fluid passage between the intermediate layer and the bottom layer;
- one or more openings at or near a distal end of the upper fluid passage; and
- one or more openings at or near a distal end of the lower fluid passage;
- wherein each of the upper and lower fluid passages comprises a flexible, elongate spacer material between corresponding layers; and
- wherein one of the upper and lower fluid passages is configured to provide aspiration to the wound site, and the other of the upper and lower fluid passages is configured to provide irrigation fluid to the wound site.
In further embodiments, the spacer material of each of the upper and lower fluid passages may comprise at least one of a 3D knitted or 3D fabric material, foam, a porous material and non-woven material. The upper fluid passage configured to provide aspiration to the wound and the lower fluid passage may also be configured to provide irrigation fluid to the wound. The one or more openings at or near a distal end of the upper fluid passage may comprise an upwardly facing opening in the top layer. The one or more openings at or near a distal end of the upper fluid passage may comprise a distally facing opening between the top and intermediate layers. The spacer material of the upper fluid passage may extend distally beyond the distally facing opening between the top and intermediate layers. The one or more openings at or near a distal end of the lower fluid passage may comprise a plurality of microporous openings in the bottom layer. Some embodiments can further comprise a fluid distributing layer positioned below the one or more openings at or near a distal end of the lower fluid passage. A distal end of the spacer material of the lower fluid passage may extend distally beyond a distal end of the spacer material of the upper fluid passage.
In further embodiments, the fluid passage configured to provide irrigation fluid to the wound site may comprise a plurality of radially extending arms at a distal end thereof. Some embodiments may comprise plurality of openings along each of the radially extending arms. The radially extending arms may comprise spacer material therein. The radially extending arms may be formed in part by the bottom layer. The radially extending arms may be part of a manifold attached to the bottom layer with the radially extending arms in fluid communication with the one or more openings at or near the distal end of the lower fluid passage.
Some embodiments may further comprise adhesive along at least a portion of the bottom layer for adhering the bottom layer to skin adjacent a wound. The corresponding layers of each of the upper and lower fluid passages may have side portions along sides of the elongate spacer material that are parallel to and adhered to each other. The fluidic connector is sufficiently soft to conform to a patient's skin along a substantial portion of a length of the fluidic connector.
In another embodiment, a method of treating a wound of a patient, comprises:
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- positioning the fluidic connector of any one of the preceding claims into a wound with the one or more openings of the upper and lower fluid passages positioned within the wound and the proximal end of the fluidic connector positioned outside of the wound with a portion of the fluidic connector positioned against the skin of the patient;
- covering the wound with a wound cover, wherein the wound cover is sealed to skin surrounding the wound and seals against the portion of the fluidic connector positioned against the skin of the patient;
- providing negative pressure to the wound through one of the upper and lower fluid passages; and
- providing irrigation fluid to the wound through the other of the upper and lower fluid passages.
Further embodiments may further comprise positioning a porous wound filler into contact with the wound, and positioning the distal end of the fluidic connector over the porous wound filler. Some embodiments may further comprise positioning a porous wound filler over the distal end of the fluidic connector, and positioning the wound cover over the porous wound filler that is positioned over the distal end of the fluidic connector.
In another embodiment, a system for treatment of a wound comprises:
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- a sealing membrane for covering the wound;
- a dressing adapted to be positioned in the wound; and
- a fluidic connector capable of being operably associated, in use, with the wound cavity, the fluidic connector comprising:
- a proximal end and a distal end and an elongate length extending therebetween;
- a first layer of flexible film,
- a second layer of flexible film sealed around a perimeter to the first layer of flexible film, thereby defining an aspirant channel, wherein at least one aspiration opening in the distal end of the first layer of flexible film is configured to transmit aspiration to the wound cavity, and
- a third layer of flexible film sealed around a perimeter to the second layer of flexible film, thereby defining an irrigation channel, wherein at least one irrigation opening in the distal end of the third layer is configured to transmit irrigation fluid to the wound.
In further embodiments, each of the aspirant channel and irrigation channel may comprise a flexible, elongate spacer material between corresponding layers. The spacer material may extend through the at least one aspiration opening.
In further embodiments, an aspirant conduit may be provided at the proximal end of the aspirant channel. A vacuum means may be configured to apply negative pressure to the wound through the aspirant conduit and the aspirant channel. A waste collection canister may be configured to connect to a proximal end of the aspirant conduit. An irrigation conduit may be provided at the proximal end of the irrigation channel. An irrigation source may be configured to provide irrigation fluid to the wound through the irrigation conduit and the irrigation channel.
Further embodiments may comprise a manifold attached over the at least one irrigation orifice, the manifold having a lower surface, the manifold adapted to deliver irrigation fluid across a larger area than the distal end of the irrigation opening. The manifold may comprise a plurality of radially extending arms. Each of the plurality of radially extending arms may comprise a plurality of irrigation orifices in the lower surface. The wound filler may comprise first and second layers of a wound filling material, and wherein the distal end of the fluidic connector is positioned between the first and second layers of wound filling material.
In another embodiment, a fluidic connector for providing aspiration and irrigation to a wound site, may comprise:
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- a top layer and a bottom layer each constructed from a flexible, liquid impermeable material, wherein each of the layers has a proximal end and a distal end and elongate portions extending therebetween, and wherein each of the layers has a left edge and a right edge and a center portion therebetween;
- a left seal extending along the length of the left edges of the top and bottom layers, a right seal extending along the length of the right edges of the top and bottom layers, and a middle seal extending along at least a portion of the length of the center portions of the top and bottom layers;
- a left fluid passage between the top and bottom layers, further defined by the left seal and the middle seal;
- a right fluid passage between the top and bottom layers, further defined by the middle seal and the right seal;
- one or more openings in the bottom layer at or near a distal end of the left and right fluid passages; and
- at least one applicator portion attached to or integral with the bottom layer at a distal end of the bottom layer;
- wherein each of the left and right fluid passages comprises a flexible, elongate spacer material between the top and bottom layers; and
- wherein one of the left and right fluid passages is configured to provide aspiration to the wound site, and the other of the left and right fluid passages is configured to provide irrigation fluid to the wound site.
In another embodiment, a fluidic connector for providing aspiration and irrigation to a wound site, may comprise:
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- a proximal end and a distal end and an elongate length extending therebetween;
- a first fluid passage and a second fluid passage positioned side-by-side and joined together along at least a portion of the elongate length, each of the fluid passages containing an elongate spacer material; and
- at least one applicator portion at the distal end;
- wherein the first fluid passage is configured to provide aspiration to a wound site, and the second fluid passage is configured to provide irrigation fluid to the wound site.
In further embodiments, the first fluid passage and the second fluid passage may be separated at the distal end, each fluid passage being connected to a separate applicator portion. The first fluid passage and the second fluid passage may be formed between flexible layers of liquid impermeable material.
In another embodiment, a method of treating a wound of a patient, may comprise:
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- positioning a wound cover over a wound, wherein the wound cover seals to skin surrounding the wound;
- positioning a fluidic connector as described above over an opening in the wound cover;
- providing negative pressure to the wound through one of the fluid passages; and
- providing irrigation fluid to the wound through the other of the fluid passages.
In another embodiment, a system for treatment of a wound, may comprise:
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- a sealing membrane for covering the wound;
- a wound filler adapted to be positioned in the wound; and
- a fluidic connector as described above configured to be sealed over an opening in the sealing membrane.
Further embodiments may comprise a source of negative pressure configured to be in fluid communication with one of the fluid passages, and a source of irrigation fluid configured to be in fluid communication with the other of the fluid passages.
Preferred embodiments disclosed herein relate to wound therapy for a human or animal body. Therefore, any reference to a wound herein can refer to a wound on a human or animal body, and any reference to a body herein can refer to a human or animal body. The term “wound” as used herein, in addition to having its broad ordinary meaning, includes any body part of a patient that may be treated using negative pressure. Wounds include, but are not limited to, open wounds, incisions, lacerations, abrasions, contusions, burns, diabetic ulcers, pressure ulcers, stoma, surgical wounds, trauma and venous ulcers or the like. Treatment of such wounds can be performed using negative pressure wound therapy, wherein a reduced or negative pressure can be applied to the wound to facilitate and promote healing of the wound. It will also be appreciated that the negative pressure systems and methods as disclosed herein may be applied to other parts of the body, and are not necessarily limited to treatment of wounds.
With reference initially to
The wound may be filled with a filling or packing material 160. Suitable materials for the wound filler 160 may be porous, pressure resistant materials which resists crushing at negative pressures of a maximum of about −250 mmHg below atmospheric, and materials which may also serve to maintain a uniform pressure distribution over the area of the wound. Such materials are known to those skilled in the art and may include Gazetex™ gauze bandage roll supplied by Derma Sciences Inc., CAVICARE™ supplied by Smith & Nephew, open cell reticulated polyurethane foam, polyvinyl alcohol foam, Mepitel™ supplied by Molnlycke, or compressed foam, for example. As described further below, multiple wound fillers may be used, for example a first wound filler that is placed in contact with the wound and a second wound filler that may be placed over the fluidic connector 125.
In some embodiments, as illustrated in
Over the wound filler 160 and fluidic connector 125 is the drape 170. The drape 170 may be a flexible film, for example polyurethane. With the elongate bridge 130 of the fluidic connector 125 positioned against the skin surrounding the wound, the drape 170 may be laid over the wound and sealed to the patient's healthy skin surrounding the wound, creating a substantially sealed wound cavity to which negative pressure may be transmitted. The drape 170 is therefore also laid over the elongate bridge 130 of the fluidic connector 125, forming a seal with an upper surface of the elongate bridge as well as the skin on both sides of the elongate bridge. In some embodiments, a lower surface of the fluidic connector 125 may also be sealed to the patient's skin. For example, adhesive may be applied under the fluidic connector 125 prior to placement of the connector over the patient's healthy skin, or may be provided along the elongate bridge 130 during manufacture and protected prior to use by a release layer. The drape 170 and/or fluidic connector 125 may be effectively sealed to the patient's healthy skin surrounding the wound by means of an adhesive on the wound-facing lower surface of the drape, for example a pressure-sensitive adhesive. However, the term “sealed” is not an absolute requirement nor practically attainable since many flexible drape membrane materials are composed of semi-permeable plastics materials which are well known to those skilled in the art. The term semi-permeable is defined as being permeable to water vapour and gases but not liquids or air, having a transmissibility of moisture vapour greater than approximately 500 g/sq·m/per 24 hr period. Furthermore, there is almost inevitably some leakage between the skin to which the sealing drape is adhered due to hairs and/or other skin surface irregularities and/or imperfections which are not easily completely sealed in absolute terms. Examples of the types of self-adhesive, flexible dressing drape materials which are ordinarily used in TNP type therapy as sealing membranes over and around wounds are listed hereinabove and are well known to those skilled in the art and will not be elaborated on further herein unless necessary.
Some embodiments may employ separate units for irrigation and aspiration, as illustrated in
An irrigation conduit 124 may enable fluid communication between the proximal end of the fluidic connector 125 and an irrigation source 106. Irrigation fluid from the irrigation source may be drawn into the wound using the same pump 104 that provides aspiration through conduit 122, or a separate irrigation pump may also be used. Further arrangements for providing aspiration and irrigation to the wound, as well as other systems, apparatuses and methods that may be incorporated with the features described herein, are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,524,315 and 8,105,295, the entireties of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
As illustrated the wound may be filled with two layers of packing material 162, 164, and the distal end 150 of the fluidic connector and the manifold 140 may be disposed between the two layers. The manifold 140 may be in fluid communication with the irrigation channel 132 at the distal end 150 of the elongate bridge 130, and as illustrated may be provided below the irrigation channel 132 to distribute irrigation fluid to the wound. However, in some embodiments such as shown in
Using irrigation fluid that passes through the irrigation channel 132, the lower wound filler 162 in contact with the wound cavity surface 210 may be irrigated with fluid beneficial for the healing process. Negative pressure may be applied to the wound site through the aspiration channel 132 and distributed through the upper wound filler 164 which may substantially fill the wound. In some embodiments, the lower wound filling layer 162 may be a thin sheet shaped to line the wound surface, and the upper wound filling layer 164 may be shaped to maintain a substantially flat surface approximately level with the patient's healthy skin when the wound cavity is under negative pressure. In some embodiments, as described further below, the wound site may be aspirated through at least one orifice at the distal end of the fluidic connector 150.
The drape 170 may be placed over the bridge portion 130 and substantially seal to the top surface and sides of the bridge portion and the exposed healthy skin of the patient. The drape may seal, for example, by a pressure-sensitive adhesive provided on the lower surface of the drape. The substantially sealed drape 170 and wound cavity surface 210 define a wound cavity which may be provided with negative pressure.
The fluidic connector 300 may comprise an elongate bridge portion 310 and an enlarged rounded (e.g. circular) end 320. The distal end of the fluidic connector is depicted as having an enlarged circular shape, although it will be appreciated that any suitable shape may be used and that the distal end need not be enlarged. The fluidic connector 300 may comprise a sealed perimeter 330 defining one or more fluid transmission channels.
The fluidic connector 300 may comprise multiple layers of a flexible film material sealed to one another in a perimeter 330. As shown in
At the distal end of the fluidic connector, the top layer may have an opening 352 through which aspiration to the wound can be provided. Also at the distal end of the fluidic connector, the bottom layer may have one or more openings 354 for providing irrigation to the wound. In certain embodiments, the lower surface of the enlarged end 320 of the lower film layer 334 may be provided with an adhesive for attaching to a manifold, as described below, or simply for attaching the lower surface to skin surrounding the wound.
The top, intermediate, and bottom film layers 332, 333, 334 may be substantially the same shape as one another, and may each comprise an elongate bridge portion and an enlarged (e.g., rounded or circular) portion at a distal end thereof. Alternatively, the layers need not have the same shape, and in one embodiment, the intermediate and bottom layers may have a larger distal end than the top layer to provide a greater area to distribute irrigation to the wound.
The top layer 332 may be sealed to one or both of the intermediate layer 333 and the bottom later 334, for example by heat welding, radio frequency welding, laser welding, or ultrasonic welding. In some embodiments, the bottom layer 334 may be substantially flat and the top layer 332 and intermediate layer 333 may be slightly larger than the bottom layer 334 in order to accommodate the height of the spacer layers (described below) and seal to the bottom layer. Such an arrangement is also shown with respect to
In some embodiments, the elongate bridge portions of the film layers may have a length of 10 cm (or about 10 cm) or more, more preferably a length of 20 cm (or about 20 cm) or more and in some embodiments, may be about 69 cm (or 27 cm) long. Some embodiments of the entire fluidic connector, from a proximalmost edge of the top and bottom layers to a distalmost edge of the top and bottom layers, may be between 20 cm and 80 cm (or about 20 cm to about 80 cm) long, more preferably about 60 cm and 80 cm (or between about 60 cm and about 80 cm) long, for example about 70 cm long. In some embodiments, the elongate bridge portion of the flexible film layers may have a width of between 1 cm and 4 cm (or between about 1 cm and about 4 cm), and in one embodiment, is about 2.5 cm wide. The ratio of the length of the elongate bridge portion to the width may in some embodiments exceed 6:1, and may more preferably exceed 8:1 or even 10:1. The diameter of the circular portion may be about 3.5 cm in some embodiments, or may be much larger to better distribute aspiration and irrigation to the wound.
The fluidic connector may comprise a first spacer layer 342 and second spacer layer 344, the first spacer 342 layer positioned between the top layer 332 and the intermediate layer 333 and the second spacer layer 344 positioned between the intermediate layer 333 and the bottom layer 334. In some embodiments, the first spacer layer may be used as an aspirant layer and the lower spacer layer may be used to transmit irrigation fluid. The aspirant spacer layer 342 may optionally comprise a hole 353 located beneath the hole 352 in the top film layer 332 to facilitate transmission of negative pressure.
The spacer layers may be made of any suitable material, for example material resistant to collapsing in at least one direction, thereby enabling effective transmission of negative pressure or irrigation fluid therethrough. In particular, the spacer layers ensure that an open channel can be maintained to communicate negative pressure or irrigation fluid through the fluidic connector 300 to the wound area. The spacer layer 342 should remain open under the typical pressures that will be applied during negative pressure wound therapy. The spacer layers are preferably formed of a material having a three dimensional structure. For example, a knitted or woven spacer fabric (for example Baltex 7970 weft knitted polyester) or a non-woven fabric could be used. The spacer layers may also comprise materials such foams, including open-cell foams such as polyethylene or polyurethane foam, meshes, non-woven materials, and fluid channels.
In some embodiments, each of the spacer layers 342, 344 may comprise a 3D polyester spacer fabric layer including a top layer (that is to say, a layer distal from the wound-bed in use) which is a 84/144 textured polyester, and a bottom layer (that is to say, a layer which lies proximate to the wound bed in use) which is a 10 denier flat polyester and a third layer formed sandwiched between these two layers which is a region defined by a knitted polyester viscose, cellulose or the like monofilament fiber. Other materials and other linear mass densities of fiber could of course be used.
Some embodiments of the fluidic connector 300 may employ the same fabric for both the upper and lower spacer layers 342, 344. However, in other embodiments, a first material may be used as a spacer layer for the aspirant channel and a second material may be used as a spacer layer for the irrigation channel, the first and second materials having properties optimized for the purpose of aspiration or irrigation, respectively. Alternatively, some embodiments may utilize spacer fabric only for the aspirant channel so that the channel remains open even under negative pressure, and the irrigation channel may simply comprise a fluid passage encapsulated by the surrounding film layers.
Although the illustrated embodiment has been generally described as having an upper aspirant channel and a lower irrigation channel, it will be appreciated that many variations of this configuration are possible. For example, some embodiments may employ more than two fluid transmission channels. Other embodiments may only employ an irrigation channel. In some embodiments the fluid transmission channels may be side by side, or the irrigation channel may be above the aspirant channel.
In some embodiments, the elongated bridge of the spacer layers 342, 344 may have dimensions in the same ranges as the bridge portions of the film layers described above though slightly smaller, and in one embodiment is about 25.5 cm long and about 1.5 cm wide. Similarly, the diameter of the enlarged distal portion 320 of the spacer layers may be slightly smaller than the diameters of the enlarged ends of the film layers, and in one embodiment is about 2 cm. Some embodiments of a spacer layer may have adhesive on one or both of its proximal and distal ends (e.g., one or more dabs of adhesive) in order to secure the spacer layer to one or both of the adjacent film layers. Adhesive may also be provided along a portion or the entire length of one or both of the spacer layers. In other embodiments, one or both of the spacer layers may be freely movable within the sealed chamber of the adjacent film layers.
Some embodiments may optionally comprise a first conduit 362 and a second conduit 364 at the proximal end of the elongate bridge portion 310 of the fluidic connector 300. In some embodiments, the first conduit 362 may be in fluid communication with spacer layer 342, and may transmit fluid including irrigation fluid and wound exudates away from a wound site through orifice 352, as well as providing negative pressure to the wound site. The second conduit 364 may be in fluid communication with spacer layer 344, and may transmit irrigation fluid through a plurality of holes 354 located in the lower film layer 334. In some embodiments, an optional fluid distributing layer 355 can be positioned below the plurality of holes 354 in the lower film layer 334 to aid in even distribution of fluid across part of all of a wound site. For example, fluid distributing layer 355 can be a perforated film or microporous layer such as polyurethane foamed film or compressed foam. Fluid distributing layer 355 can be welded to, glued to, or laminated over the lower surface of the lower film layer 334 below the plurality of holes 354 in various embodiments. In some embodiments, fluid distributing layer 355 can be pre-attached to the lower surface of the lower film layer 334. In other embodiments, the fluid distributing layer 355 can be positioned between the lower surface of the lower film layer 334 and a wound to be treated. As described above, in other embodiments such as shown in
The manifold may comprise two layers of a flexible film such as used for the fluidic connector described above, wherein the layers are sealed around a perimeter. The encapsulated inner area of the manifold may contain a layer of spacer fabric or other spacer material. Suitable materials include those discussed above as well as reticulated filtration polyurethane foams with small apertures or pores. The top film layer of the manifold may be provided with a hole 420 for accepting irrigation fluid from the fluidic connector. The hole 420 may communicate with the plurality of holes 354 of the fluidic connector 300, or may communicate with a single larger hole at the enlarged end of the bottom layer of the fluidic connector 300.
As shown in
The holes or pores of the manifold may be sized or otherwise configured in some embodiments so as to limit the maximum pressure at which irrigation fluid may be delivered to a wound. The pores may also be sized such that, at the desired flow rate, the fluid passes out of the manifold uniformly across its entire area, ensuring that the wound is uniformly irrigated. For example, some embodiments may limit the pressure of the fluid to approximately eight to twelve pounds per square inch. This may be advantageous as fluids delivered at high pressures may disturb the healing wound bed, and if the pressure exceeds approximately 15 psi, bacteria may be pushed further into a patient's wound. In other embodiments the irrigation fluid supply flow regulation may be accomplished by other means, such as a pump and/or feed pressure.
Advantageously, in the embodiments of
The right and left channels shown in
As illustrated in
As illustrated by
One of the side-by-side channels 802, 803 may provide irrigation fluid to the wound. The other of the side-by-side channels 802, 803 may transmit negative pressure to the wound as well as aspirate fluid, which may comprise irrigation fluid and wound exudate, away from the wound. In some embodiments, the channels may be used simultaneously. In other embodiments, use of the channels may be alternated. For example, negative pressure may be provided to the wound cavity through the aspirant channel, and the wound may continue to receive negative pressure therapy for a first period of time. Irrigation fluid may then be provided to the wound through the irrigation channel and may be allowed to sit in the wound for a second period of time. After the second period of time, the aspirant channel may then be used to remove the irrigation fluid (and any wound exudate) and again initiate negative pressure in the wound cavity. This cycle may be repeated as needed, and it will be appreciated that although the example given began with a period of negative pressure, either negative pressure or irrigation may be used for the first cycle. This cyclic irrigation/aspiration process may be useful for bolus irrigation.
Additionally, some embodiments of the above-described aspiration and irrigation conduits may provide a means for venting air or a pressure monitoring line. For example, some embodiments may include a vent hole in the top layer of one of the two channels of the fluidic connector, for example at the proximal end of the elongate bridge. Other embodiments employ a third conduit or vent channel in the elongate bridge portion, the third conduit in fluid communication with a vent orifice. The vent orifice may be at the proximate end of the bridge portion, and may be provided with a filter. The vent channel may be provided with a spacer fabric, such as any of the spacer fabrics described above. Other embodiments may accomplish venting by means of a standalone vent port over a hole in the sealing drape.
In some embodiments, the third conduit or vent channel may be used as a separate pressure monitoring conduit. In other embodiments, the third conduit may be used to alternately vent and measure pressure. The conduit may switch between venting and pressure monitoring at regular intervals, or may switch in a controlled manner based on one or more parameters of the negative pressure system. In embodiments which alternate venting and pressure monitoring, air may be vented into to the wound for a first specified time period, for example via a valve attached to the third conduit; the valve may then be closed, thus preventing air from entering the negative pressure system and a pressure reading may be taken, for example via a pressure sensor fluidically attached to the third conduit. Once a stable pressure reading has been measured, or after a second specified period of time has passed, the valve may be opened and the cycle repeated. In some embodiments, the first specified time period may be 1-600 seconds, or approximately 1 to approximately 600 seconds, and the second specified time period may be 0.1-60 seconds, or approximately 0.1 second to approximately 60 seconds. Vent flows may be of the order 0.1 to 10 liters per minute, or approximately 0.1 to approximately 10 liters per minute. The addition of a vent may advantageously help to stabilize the pressure at the wound by minimizing the amount of liquid present in the main aspirant conduit and reducing the possibility of blockage formation.
Features, materials, characteristics, or groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment, or example are to be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described herein unless incompatible therewith. All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. The protection is not restricted to the details of any foregoing embodiments. The protection extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.
While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection. Indeed, the novel methods and systems described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the methods and systems described herein may be made. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in some embodiments, the actual steps taken in the processes illustrated and/or disclosed may differ from those shown in the figures. Depending on the embodiment, certain of the steps described above may be removed, others may be added. Furthermore, the features and attributes of the specific embodiments disclosed above may be combined in different ways to form additional embodiments, all of which fall within the scope of the present disclosure.
Although the present disclosure includes certain embodiments, examples and applications, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof, including embodiments which do not provide all of the features and advantages set forth herein. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited by the specific disclosures of preferred embodiments herein, and may be defined by claims as presented herein or as presented in the future.
Claims
1. A fluidic connector for providing aspiration and irrigation to a wound site, comprising:
- a proximal end and a distal end and an elongate length extending therebetween;
- a top layer, a bottom layer and an intermediate layer each constructed from a flexible, liquid impermeable material and adhered to one another, wherein each of the layers has a proximal end and a distal end and elongate portions extending therebetween;
- an upper fluid passage between the top layer and the intermediate layer;
- a lower fluid passage between the intermediate layer and the bottom layer;
- one or more openings at or near a distal end of the upper fluid passage; and
- one or more openings at or near a distal end of the lower fluid passage;
- wherein each of the upper and lower fluid passages comprises a flexible, elongate spacer material between corresponding layers; and
- wherein one of the upper and lower fluid passages is configured to provide aspiration to the wound site, and the other of the upper and lower fluid passages is configured to provide irrigation fluid to the wound site.
2. The fluidic connector of claim 1, wherein the spacer material of each of the upper and lower fluid passages comprises at least one of a 3D knitted or 3D fabric material, foam, a porous material and non-woven material.
3. The fluidic connector of claim 1, wherein the upper fluid passage is configured to provide aspiration to the wound and the lower fluid passage is configured to provide irrigation fluid to the wound.
4. The fluidic connector of claim 1, wherein the one or more openings at or near a distal end of the upper fluid passage comprises an upwardly facing opening in the top layer.
5. The fluidic connector of claim 1, wherein the one or more openings at or near a distal end of the upper fluid passage comprises a distally facing opening between the top and intermediate layers.
6. The fluidic connector of claim 5, wherein the spacer material of the upper fluid passage extends distally beyond the distally facing opening between the top and intermediate layers.
7. The fluidic connector of claim 1, wherein the one or more openings at or near a distal end of the lower fluid passage comprises a plurality of microporous openings in the bottom layer.
8. The fluidic connector of claim 1, further comprising a fluid distributing layer positioned below the one or more openings at or near a distal end of the lower fluid passage.
9. The fluidic connector of claim 1, wherein a distal end of the spacer material of the lower fluid passage extends distally beyond a distal end of the spacer material of the upper fluid passage.
10. The fluidic connector of claim 1, wherein the fluid passage configured to provide irrigation fluid to the wound site comprises a plurality of radially extending arms at a distal end thereof.
11. The fluidic connector of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of openings along each of the radially extending arms.
12. The fluidic connector of claim 10, wherein the radially extending arms comprise spacer material therein.
13. The fluidic connector of claim 10, wherein the radially extending arms are formed in part by the bottom layer.
14. The fluidic connector of claim 10, wherein the radially extending arms are part of a manifold attached to the bottom layer with the radially extending arms in fluid communication with the one or more openings at or near the distal end of the lower fluid passage.
15. The fluidic connector of claim 1, further comprising adhesive along at least a portion of the bottom layer for adhering the bottom layer to skin adjacent a wound.
16. The fluidic connector of claim 1, wherein the corresponding layers of each of the upper and lower fluid passages have side portions along sides of the elongate spacer material that are parallel to and adhered to each other.
17. The fluidic connector of claim 1, wherein the fluidic connector is sufficiently soft to conform to a patient's skin along a substantial portion of a length of the fluidic connector.
18. (canceled)
19. (canceled)
20. (canceled)
21. A system for treatment of a wound, comprising:
- a sealing membrane for covering the wound;
- a wound filler adapted to be positioned in the wound; and
- a fluidic connector capable of being operably associated, in use, with the wound, the fluidic connector comprising: a proximal end and a distal end and an elongate length extending therebetween; a first layer of flexible film, a second layer of flexible film sealed around a perimeter to the first layer of flexible film, thereby defining an aspirant channel, wherein at least one aspiration opening at or near the distal end of the first layer of flexible film is configured to transmit aspiration to the wound, and a third layer of flexible film sealed around a perimeter to the second layer of flexible film, thereby defining an irrigation channel, wherein at least one irrigation opening at or near the distal end of the third layer is configured to transmit irrigation fluid to the wound, wherein each of the aspirant channel and irrigation channel comprises a flexible, elongate spacer material between corresponding layers.
22. (canceled)
23. The system of claim 21, wherein the spacer material extends through the at least one aspiration opening.
24. The system of claim 21, wherein an aspirant conduit is provided at the proximal end of the aspirant channel.
25. The system of claim 24, further comprising vacuum means configured to apply negative pressure to the wound through the aspirant conduit and the aspirant channel.
26. The system of claim 24, further comprising a waste collection canister configured to connect to a proximal end of the aspirant conduit.
27. The system of claim 21, wherein an irrigation conduit is provided at the proximal end of the irrigation channel.
28. The system of claim 27, further comprising an irrigation source configured to provide irrigation fluid to the wound through the irrigation conduit and the irrigation channel.
29. The system of claim 21, further comprising a manifold attached over the at least one irrigation opening, the manifold having a lower surface, the manifold adapted to deliver irrigation fluid across a larger area than the distal end of the irrigation channel.
30. The system of claim 29, wherein the manifold comprises a plurality of radially extending arms.
31. The system of claim 30, wherein each of the plurality of radially extending arms comprises a plurality of irrigation orifices in the lower surface.
32. The system of claim 21, wherein the wound filler comprises first and second layers of a wound filling material, and wherein the distal end of the fluidic connector is positioned between the first and second layers of wound filling material.
33. A fluidic connector for providing aspiration and irrigation to a wound site, comprising:
- a top layer and a bottom layer each constructed from a flexible, liquid impermeable material, wherein each of the layers has a proximal end and a distal end and elongate portions extending therebetween, and wherein each of the layers has a left edge and a right edge and a center portion therebetween;
- a left seal extending along the length of the left edges of the top and bottom layers, a right seal extending along the length of the right edges of the top and bottom layers, and a middle seal extending along at least a portion of the length of the center portions of the top and bottom layers;
- a left fluid passage between the top and bottom layers, further defined by the left seal and the middle seal;
- a right fluid passage between the top and bottom layers, further defined by the middle seal and the right seal;
- one or more openings in the bottom layer at or near a distal end of the left and right fluid passages; and
- at least one applicator portion attached to or integral with the bottom layer at a distal end of the bottom layer;
- wherein each of the left and right fluid passages comprises a flexible, elongate spacer material between the top and bottom layers; and
- wherein one of the left and right fluid passages is configured to provide aspiration to the wound site, and the other of the left and right fluid passages is configured to provide irrigation fluid to the wound site.
34. A fluidic connector for providing aspiration and irrigation to a wound site, comprising:
- a proximal end and a distal end and an elongate length extending therebetween;
- a first fluid passage and a second fluid passage positioned side-by-side and joined together along at least a portion of the elongate length, each of the fluid passages containing an elongate spacer material; and
- at least one applicator portion at the distal end;
- wherein the first fluid passage is configured to provide aspiration to a wound site, and the second fluid passage is configured to provide irrigation fluid to the wound site.
35. The fluidic connector of claim 34, wherein the first fluid passage and the second fluid passage are separated at the distal end, each fluid passage being connected to a separate applicator portion.
36. The fluidic connector of claim 34, wherein the first fluid passage and the second fluid passage are formed between flexible layers of liquid impermeable material.
37. (canceled)
38. A system for treatment of a wound, comprising:
- a sealing membrane for covering the wound;
- a wound filler adapted to be positioned in the wound; and
- a fluidic connector of according to claim 33 configured to be sealed over an opening in the sealing membrane.
39. The system of claim 38, further comprising a source of negative pressure configured to be in fluid communication with one of the fluid passages, and a source of irrigation fluid configured to be in fluid communication with the other of the fluid passages.
40. A system for treatment of a wound, comprising:
- a sealing membrane for covering the wound;
- a wound filler adapted to be positioned in the wound; and
- a fluidic connector according to claim 34 configured to be sealed over an opening in the sealing membrane.
41. The system of claim 40, further comprising a source of negative pressure configured to be in fluid communication with one of the fluid passages, and a source of irrigation fluid configured to be in fluid communication with the other of the fluid passages.
Type: Application
Filed: May 6, 2014
Publication Date: Apr 21, 2016
Patent Grant number: 10010658
Applicant: Smith & Nephew PLC (London)
Inventor: Edward Yerbury Hartwell (Hull)
Application Number: 14/889,825